Planet Tar Shenna

Tar Shenna – Known as the “Library World”.

It holds the distinction of being the furthest settled world during the `First Exodus <First_Exodus.html>`_. Due to its extreme distance from the core of settled worlds, it remained relatively untouched during the ensuing wars. The system itself has been the site of numerous battles, however there is no record of any stellar nation invading the world itself. Tar Shenna is considered hallowed ground and its settlers, though small in number, have a deep attachment to the gathering and preservation of knowledge.

Although this began as a shared moral obligation on the part of a small number of academically minded colonists, the information they collected became increasingly valuable, as mankind groped blindly outward into the galaxy. Systems, planets and resources mapped centuries beforehand by x-ray telescope and forgotten by the hotheaded expansionist factions were suddenly a priceless commodity. explorers and adventurers began to swarm to Tar Shenna to sell their information, and the corporations and the authorities of the stellar nations paid handsomely for it.

The civilization on Tar Shenna grew sharper and more shrewd, the librarians learning to carefully select which information they let loose. It is calculated that at one point the librarians were accumulating more than half a percent of the gross income of the galaxy. The library world today is as near a utopia for its citizens as anywhere in the galaxy - the product of a deeply rich economy and a curious lack of population expansion.

The world itself rarely has many visitors due to a stringent security regime operated by the Librarians, enforced by the complex web of treaties and pacts formed by the librarians with the galactic powers to secure their position. The Librarians have evolved a curious yet effective system of self governance, made necessary by the colossal pressure from outside governments and the need for stony faced impartiality. The authorities of tar shenna are an elected committee of five, who once installed never appear beyond their council chambers, where they reside in absolute privacy and isolation for the year-long duration of their term.

They interact with their world and other nations via a jury of randomly selected civilians who pass messages back and forth between the committee and the ambassadors of the nations. in this manner, no relationships are formed between men of power and corruption is thus extremely difficult.

One of Tar Shenna's most important locales is the venerable `Pegasus Station <Pegasus_Station.html>`_. It is known that a station has existed over Tar Shenna for a thousand years, although the Pegasus was built from scratch to replace the devastated `Incitatus station <Incitatus_station.html>`_ some years after the first Antarean conflict. it is here that 90 per cent of interstellar business with the library world is conducted.